Nuno Coelho, conductor: "30 years ago a child like me would not have had the opportunity to do this career"

He came to music at the hands of a childhood colleague and, at the age of 33, has become the Portuguese conductor with the most international projection.

Nuno Coelho will conduct today in his hometown of Porto the National Youth Orchestra of Spain, which has chosen him for a mini Iberian tour to celebrate his 40th anniversary.

He lives in Austria, he misses his family and his country, but he is already accommodated to the identity of central Europe and to that wandering life of musicians who conduct one day in Helsinki and another in London.

Distinguished in international competitions and awarded a scholarship by Gustavo Dudamel, in 2022 he became principal conductor of the Principality of Asturias Symphony Orchestra, to which he wants to give identity and commitment.

He has a community vision of his work, as if an orchestra were "a social glue."

Question.

You are younger than the young Spanish orchestra with which you are touring.

Reply.

(laughs) But the guys are younger than me.

Q.

At what age do you stop being a young promise in classical music and reach maturity?

R.

It depends on the musical quality, it has nothing to do with age.

Also with a continued run, it's not just a one-off event.

Q.

Last year you became the principal conductor of the Asturias Symphony Orchestra, selected from among 30 applicants.

What would you like to leave special?

R.

The template is being renewed.

I try to create an identity in the works of the classical period that we play, also reflect on the role of the orchestra in society, how to contribute to the community and be present in the lives of schools, hospitals, prisons and institutions for the elderly and disadvantaged.

It is about having a social glue role.

In that moment of the scenario, when all the people feel the same regardless of the context of each one, this feeling of sharing is very important.

Q.

It is important to you to work for the community.

Somehow, something that can contradict the sometimes elitist image of classical music.

R.

It is no longer true that classical music is currently elitist, what is true is that it is an experience that takes time.

Although pop concerts also last two hours, it is only a question of assuming that it is an activity that requires concentration, time and availability to listen and forget about cell phones and other things in the world.

That is not very typical of our times.

We try not to keep prices elitist and there is a contemporary repertoire, although our mission is also to preserve the cultural heritage of humanity.

Beethoven or Stravinsky are German and Russian composers, but their works belong to everyone.

We must continue to show them to the public.

Q.

And how to attract young people, who consider music very important but have little connection with the classical repertoire?

A.

It is difficult.

The first step is to show what we do.

Many people have no idea what an orchestra or a concert is, they imagine something very serious, and there are more relaxed and shorter formats.

It is a matter of creating a group of young people who are interested and give them support and their own initiatives.

Q.

As a child, did you say that you wanted to be a conductor when you grew up?

A.

No, no, no.

Neither is a musician, it was a coincidence.

I had a friend who played the piano and I enrolled in a music school.

At the age of 15 I started playing in a youth orchestra and that's when something woke me up and I decided to be a violinist.

I went abroad to study violin and play in professional orchestras and little by little I discovered that conducting was interesting.

So I think it can happen to other people.

We are all prepared to enjoy classical music, the public only has to meet the performers.

Q.

What does conducting give you that the violin doesn't?

R.

It is a more global vision of music.

As a director we have more time to reflect on the structure of the work, on the composer's analysis, history or context.

You think about music in a different way than someone who has to play the notes, practice and do the more technical work.

I also liked the part of leading a group, which has come naturally to me, motivation and leadership is difficult but very interesting.

And the more physical part of showing the sound we want with the hands and the body, that's very fascinating.

Q.

What do you feel when you go out to the box, pick up the baton and there are those seconds of universal silence before the orchestra starts playing?

A.

Concentration.

The role of the conductor is to focus everyone's attention, the musicians and the audience, on what is going to happen.

It is something internal, to seek concentration on the musical message.

In the initial moment there are nerves and attention.

Q.

Should the concerts evolve in any way?

Do you feel that there is a wall, a distance between the public and the musicians?

A.

Yes. During the pandemic, since there were no hand programs, I began to speak to the public and now I do it often.

I think it's a good way to get closer, listen to the voice of the director or the musicians, suddenly a personal contact is established, a more direct relationship.

Q.

What do you find in music that is not in the world?

A.

Idealism.

Right now playing Beethoven's

I was telling the guys that it's not just about counterpoints or bringing together different themes, it's the idealism that something very diverse can be united.

In music it's an idea, in the world you try but it's hard to get there.

Q.

Politics is one of your interests.

Is there a lack of good conductors and plenty of soloists in international politics?

R.

Well, there are also many tyrannical conductors.

It is important to remember something that Claudio Abbado said when he created the Mahler Symphony Orchestra or when Daniel Baremboin created the West-Eastern Divan [with Jewish and Palestinian musicians] is that an orchestra does not work if we do not listen to each other, you have to listen to your colleagues and react to what is happening.

That is what is missing now, listening to people who think differently without blocking themselves.

You have to reach the end of the work together, even if it is not the interpretation that I would like.

An orchestra is working together for a common result, even if it is not the vision of the first horn or the second violin, but together we build something of our own.

The world is very complicated for this, but listening and having tolerance is the key.

Q.

Do you think that your generation will live worse than that of your parents?

A.

According to some studies, yes.

There are clearly better things now than in the days of my parents.

Economically we are better than 30 years ago, we must maintain some optimism.

The country that is today Portugal is much better.

30 years ago, a child like me would not have had the opportunity to study the violin, go abroad to study and have a career without borders like I had, or the opportunity to play with orchestras in the country and music schools.

The world is much better, although it has other problems.

Despite always fighting to move forward, you have to look back and see that we are much better.

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